Greatest Piano Piece Ever Written

[rachlisztchopin]

This is a very subjective question my mom asked me the other day. What is the greatest piano piece ever written for solo piano? We were listening to Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in the car and she said she can't think of a better piano piece. Basically because it has a great melodies, great harmonics, many twists, turns, and surprises, two seperate tempos, its showy, etc, etc, etc.
I agreed with her and since then I have been trying to think of a piece that tops the Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. Any thoughts?

[comme_le_vent]

yes a very subjective question.
you may be scoffed at for saying that piece is your favourite - but if you love it - thats all that matters.

to me the greatest piano piece would have to adhere to each of these points...
1 large in scale
2 rich in harmony
3 rich in melody
4 rich in rhythm
5 rich in texture with stimulating piano writing
6 very emotionally affecting

i predict that the most mentioned work here will be liszt's b minor sonata.
but for me - the best is alkan's symphony for solo piano.

[rachlisztchopin]

2nd hungarian rhapsody is not my favorite piano piece....i dont have a favorite piano piece...theres too many good piano pieces written...i was just judging the pieces on the scale i mentioned (length, harmony, melody, drive, etc) I would say Alkans pieces have a lot of what I mentioned but I dont know if they could top liszt...I agree with you that the B minor sonata has a lot of what i mentioned

[comme_le_vent]

i strongly believe that the greatest piano piece ever written is alkan's op39 no4 - ive listened to it more than any other piece and it gets better each time.

[gaspard]

There are many compositions I believe are great. They offer many simular and different qualities that a piano composition may offer. I would divide them in two catagories. The programmatic or quasi programmatic piano composition (because of its descriptive quality)and the absolute musical composition. -  For the more programmatic/quasi programmatic I would chose - (just listing a few):

Ravel's Ondine and Scarbo
Liszt's Transcendental Etudes - most of them (Mezeppa being one)
Debussy's L'Isle Joyeuse

Absolute musical compositions:
Beethoven's Appassionata Sonata
Chopin's A Flat Major Polonaise (I know it's over played)
Bach's Goldberg Variations

What are your opinions on my choices?

[rachlisztchopin]

interesting choices i say... yea im looking for one piece that has just about every one of those musical qualities
beethovens apassianata is a good one but i dont believe the chopin piece has all the qualities...it has one specific quality thats why it has a name "Heroic" though it is one of my all time favs

[anda]

rachmaninov 3rd, brahms 1st, prokofiec 3rd, rachmaninov 1st sonata, debussy images (both books), bach chaconne (violin solo) have a special place in my heart... i know it's a very subjective answer, but so was your question

[liszmaninopin]

Alot of the pieces already mentioned are great.  I can't pick a greatest, really, as many pieces are great for different reasons.  Here are a couple of works that I think need mention:

Rachmaninoff Second Concerto
Prokofiev Second Concerto
Beethoven Sonata op. 111
Scriabin's Fifth and Seventh sonatas
Chopin Sonatas #'s two and three
Rachmaninoff Second Sonata
Bach's WTC, taken as a whole
Ravel Concerto for left hand
Rachmaninoff First Sonata
Prokofiev's Seventh and Eighth sonatas

[Gambit]

My Top 5

1 Beethoven: Patetique Sonata
2 Schubert: Wanderer Fantasy
3 Mendelssohn: Andante and Rondo Capriccioso
4 Chopin: Ballad in G minor
5 Liszt: HR num 12

[Motrax]

Indeed a diffucult question.

The first movement of Rachmaninoff's second piano concerto and the first movement of his cello/piano sonata in G minor are the two most wonderful pieces of piano music I have heard.

I've been listening to a good deal of Alkan lately, due largely to comme_le_vent introducing me to the composer. I must admit I don't take to his music as well as some others here... I enjoy much of it, but somehow I'm never inspired as I am while listening to Rachmaninoff.

Scarlatti's Sonata K. 184 is a wonderful piece too, although it's not the kind of music one would consider being the "best."

[liszmaninopin]

The first movement of Rach's second concerto is probably my single most favorite piece of music, if I absolutely had to pick.  It sends chills down  my back every time I hear that passage towards the end with the melody in octaves and a simple accompaniment in the left and right hands.

[Daevren]

Scriabin's 10th sonata.

[steinwaymodeld]

Liszt/Mozart/Busoni(busoni version is excellent too)

Reminiscenes of Don Juan

[dj]

well yes lotsa incredible pieces mentioned here......however, this may sound funny, but im really into chopin's nocturne Op. 9 No. 1. i know this piece would probably never make it into any of the 10 greatest pieces ever written lists, but hey, ya know, every single note in that piece has a purpose. the same could not be said for many a larger scale piece.

[Jemmers]

Liszt's B minor Sonata. Bloody awesome!

And uh... this probably won't be all that near your top (if at all), but Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit, especially Ondine.

[L.K.]

no idea what it could be. Here's some:

-Scriabin: Vers la Flamme and Sonata No. 5
-Chopin: Fantasie in F minor and Polonaise-Fantaisie
-Liszt: B minor sonata, of course
-Schubert: Sonata D959
-Ravel: Une barque sur l'océan

That's all I can think of at the moment.

[rachlisztchopin]

i havent heard most of the pieces u guys have mentioned because i have only been playing piano and into classical music a year now...I however have heard liszt's B minor sonata and i believe it does match up to hungarian rhapsody...it has it all but it also has something hungarian rhapsody no. 2 doesnt have much of: structural form...very complex and genius structural form...i also believe now that just the whole set of chopins 27 etudes do match up too. what do you guys think? I mean it seems the most talked topic on this forum is chopin etudes so it would make sense

[epsil0n]

chopin's ballade in f minor (op. 52)

even more powerful than the g minor at times i think but i would count both of those in my list

others mentioned that i would agree on would be
beethoven sonatas op. 57 and op. 111 (op. 111 was simply beyond its time...foreshadows romanticism and even jazz/ragtime) and the liszt b-minor

probably have a few more but getting sleepy right now

[trunks]

I shall talk on the Chopin Nocturnes alone here because there are too many great pieces out there by many composers that I love for me to choose any single as being greatest.

My vote goes to No.7 as the greatest Chopin Nocturne. The suspense created in the long, slow opening section, the tension gradually building up in the middle section and the powerful, glorious resolution of that tension . . . I love all this drama.

[Antnee]

I's also have to agree with Beethoven's Last sonata. Possibly one of the geatest Sonata's ever written... Such sublime beauty. All beethoven's last works have a quality that seems to transcend our worldly constraints. I'd aslo like to add Chopin's polonaise in F# to the list. I consider this polonaise to be better than the one in A flat. Also Chopin's preludes. They are truly exquisite pieces of piano music.
 -Tony-

[Hmoll]

These pieces stand out as the monuments of piano repertiore:

Bach - Goldberg Variations

Beethoven  - Diabelli Variations
                - Sonata Op 106

Chopin - Barcarolle
          - Fantasy in F minor

Schumann - Fantasy

Brahms - Pagannini Variations

Liszt - Sonata B Minor

Ravel - Tambeau de Couperin


Messiaen - Vingt Regards

[MikeLauwrie]

Rachmaninoff: 3rd Concerto

[MikeLauwrie]

Rachmaninoff 3rd Concerto

And for solo stuff: Mussourgsky's Pictures


Mike

P.S.
I hate Liszt's Hungarian Rapper

[goalevan]

chopin - fantasie impromptu

debussy - claire de lune

beethoven - pathetique

gershwin - rhapsody in blue

liszt - HR 2

Chopin's etude series is incredible too

but right now my favorite piece is probably Chopin's waltz op 64 no 2, because I can play some of it : )

[dj]

but right now my favorite piece is probably Chopin's waltz op 64 no 2

have you heard rubinstein's recording? the piu mosso section is awesome....almost no pedaling.....wish i were rubinstein. hmph

[goalevan]

oh man, that's the part that I can play and the part that I love most, I'll definately try to find that recording, anywhere on the internet that you know of that has it?

[donjuan]

:DMy favorite piece for solo piano is...uh...sort of a tough question... :-/
;)ahh! LISZT - Totentanz

Brilliant!!  This tempestuous work of transcendendal madness is probably my favorite piece.  Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 is overplayed... because it is so popular, many people think of liszt, the only thing they are able to think about is Hungarian Rhapsody No.2, Hungarian Rhapsody No.2, Hungarian Rhapsody No.2!!!  

Think about how Rachmaninoff hated his Prelude in C# minor when he saw how popular it was with the public.  No composer would like to be labelled for any one work.  

The same goes for Chopin Fantasy-Impromptu...everytime i enter into a music competition - kiwanis, or whatever, all the other competitors play Fantasy impromptu, or shubert's impromptu Op.90 no.4

I WAS BEGINNING TO FEEL AS THOUGH THESE "IMPROMPTUS" ARE PLAYED SO MUCH BY EVERYONE, IT'S IMPROMPTU IF THEY AREN'T PLAYED .

I think everyone (well, at least most people) need to step back from the big names -Mozart, Chopin, Schubert- Etc...Etc.. and play more from the rare composers- Vecsey, Balakirev, Hummel, Field- these are all geniuses in risk of extinction......

(sigh) sorry for going off topic, in my opinion, lISZT'S TOTENTANZ IS THE GREATEST PIECE EVER WRITTEN....

...
..
....if not, maybe Liszt's opera Transcription of Bellini's     I Puritani...._{the argument goes on..}  

[trunks]

oh man, that's the part that I can play and the part that I love most, I'll definately try to find that recording, anywhere on the internet that you know of that has it?

No need to search on the web for Rubinstein playing Chopin. Almost all classical record stores have it.

[dj]

No need to search on the web for Rubinstein playing Chopin. Almost all classical record stores have it.

also pointless to search on the web for it......if you are determined to hear it for free though, try the library

[DarkWind]

My favorite piece is none other than La Valse, by Maurice Ravel. It's colorful, it's alive, it's so emotional, and has many wide ranges of feelings. It switches from thundering chords to a very soft arpeggio in the blink of an eye. There are so many parts where the piece just build and builds up to a great climax, and then, there is also the end! Such an amazing, hair raising, beautiful, and powerful finish I have never heard in any other piece! It's my number one favorite piece ever!

My second favorite is yet another piece by Ravel, the Piano Concerto in left hand. There's not much to say about it except for the fact that it's incredibly beautiful.

My third favorite is a somewhat common and much more subtle piece, Wedding Day at Troldhaugen, by Grieg. The melody is lovely, and gets stuck in my head frequently!

[dj]

My third favorite is a somewhat common and much more subtle piece, Wedding Day at Troldhaugen, by Grieg. The melody is lovely, and gets stuck in my head frequently!

ugh, i heard that piece absolutely killed by an amature once and i just have never gotten over that performance i guess

[cheeeekan]

no idea what it could be. Here's some:

-Scriabin: Vers la Flamme and Sonata No. 5
-Chopin: Fantasie in F minor and Polonaise-Fantaisie
-Liszt: B minor sonata, of course
-Schubert: Sonata D959
-Ravel: Une barque sur l'océan

That's all I can think of at the moment.

OMG YES!!! Fantasie and Polonaise-Fantaisie are the best pieces ever!  

[Nightscape]

Did anyone mention  Liszt's 1st Mephisto Waltz?

Also Ravel's Jeax deau, and definetly Gaspard de la nuit

And Scriabin's 9th sonata

[breadboy]

Beethoven's Bagatelle for Piano in A minor, WoO 59 is the greatest piano work of all time, in fact its probably the greatest and most important piece of music ever written.

[argerich_smitten]

Hey, I was just wondering why nobody had mentioned the Schumann fantasy.  It's one of the undisputed masterworks of the romantic period.  I guess I was just suprised that nobody thinks that is the best piece.  (do you guys tend to turn away from Schumann?  Save the fantasy, I don't like him as much as Chopin or Liszt)

[trunks]

Hey, I was just wondering why nobody had mentioned the Schumann fantasy.  It's one of the undisputed masterworks of the romantic period.  I guess I was just suprised that nobody thinks that is the best piece.  (do you guys tend to turn away from Schumann?  Save the fantasy, I don't like him as much as Chopin or Liszt)

If you mean the Fantasia in C, Op.17, then I would most definitely agree with you.

[Max]

Well, I can't narrow it down to one, but...

Alkan op.39 no.4
Liszts Rhapsodie Espagnole
Chopins Ballade 2

But I think the top trumps is *shock horror* Mozarts 12 Variations on "Ah vous la de dar dar" because each variation is as compelling as the theme, it's in C major for simplicity of learning it... ...and it deals with a wide range of technical difficultys, sort of.

[Rach3]

Brahms f minor quintet er, piano sonata with string backround.

[Slade]

I believe it is more the pianist than the piece...

basically i like nearly all  composers, but i think i never felt   something stronger than the day i heard kissin play the umble-bee of korsakov and the op.53 of chopin (herioic polonaise).. incredible..

but i I had to name which is for me the greatest piano work,  i'd say the hammerklavier and the appassionata by beethoven...

[kekk]

So simple. There is no greatest.

[Motrax]

Or, on the flipside, every time you listen to a beautiful piece it becomes the best.

[bachmaninov]

Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini

Nuff said!

[klavierkonzerte]

please, sombody mention kullak piano concerto it's more butifull than
brahms,rach,grieg,liszt,beethoven,tchaikovsky concertos put togther.

if anyone wants the mp3 send me  an email.

[Antnee]

That's quite a powerful statement....